Could you walk 50 miles in a day?

NorthCascades
NorthCascades Posts: 10,968 Member
edited November 21 in Fitness and Exercise
Joe McConaughy of Seattle finished setting a new fastest known time on the AT last week. He hiked 2,190 miles in 45 and 1/2 days without support. That's an average of 48 hilly miles per day, carrying his shelter on his back.

The previous record was 54 days. This one seems likely to stand for a very long time.

It's hard to imagine the physical and emotional toll this must take on a person, or the dedication involved.

https://gearjunkie.com/appalachian-trail-unsupported-supported-speed-record-fkt-string-bean
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Replies

  • DX2JX2
    DX2JX2 Posts: 1,921 Member
    Probably not. If I could, it would likely be for one day only (unless slow zombies were chasing me, in which case I think I could find the motivation).
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    I am confident I could walk 50 miles in a day. But for 45 and 1/2 days in a row? That's amazing.
  • KANGOOJUMPS
    KANGOOJUMPS Posts: 6,474 Member
    SURE!
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,458 Member
    You sure he didn't have an alpaca hidden somewhere? I mean, "unsupported" means "no one keeping track," right?

    It's quite an accomplishment!
  • rybo
    rybo Posts: 5,424 Member
    For one day, yes, maybe even 2. After that...no. I can't even imagine what it took to get to the level of maintaining that over 45 days
  • jdlobb
    jdlobb Posts: 1,232 Member
    Not likely. My pace unburdened, without actively trying to walk faster, is about 3 mph. It would take me over 16 hours to walk 50 miles, not accounting for breaks or terrain. So I'm going to say nope.
  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,423 Member
    His record is safe from me!
    I might be able to walk 12-20 miles in a day right now assuming carrying stuff and breaks but would probably not be able to walk the next day so 45 days of walking all day is out.
  • sgt1372
    sgt1372 Posts: 3,997 Member
    No way.

    20 max @ 2.5 miles/hr for 8 hrs on foot for me.

    Otherwise, I'll take a bike, cab, Uber, bus, train, Sega, horse, mule or donkey instead.
  • mph323
    mph323 Posts: 3,563 Member
    Not me! I've walked maybe 20 - 22 miles with a daypack, but anything more would be waaay out of my range :)
  • scorpio516
    scorpio516 Posts: 955 Member
    Not over the Whites. Maybe JMT or PCT. The AT over the Whites goes straight up and down rock fields.
  • rainbow198
    rainbow198 Posts: 2,245 Member
    Very inspiring!

    With some training and under the right conditions (able to take breaks, decent weather, doing it to challenge myself and it's not a stressful situation) I believe I could!

    I can walk 4 miles in just under one hour at a comfortable, moderate pace.

    So it would take me 12.5 total hours to get it done.

    Hmmm.....
  • bikecheryl
    bikecheryl Posts: 1,432 Member
    I ran/walked an ultra marathon.... 50 km of up & down trails ..... once..... I'm good with that. :)
  • ramshackles
    ramshackles Posts: 85 Member
    No, my max was in the Lake District in the UK for 18 miles and it took hours and destroyed me
  • MeanderingMammal
    MeanderingMammal Posts: 7,866 Member
    edited September 2017
    Back to back marathons and/ or short ultras are quite enough for the moment.

    A couple of days of 50s are feasible, but not for more than that.
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
    No, not through those hills!
  • ccrdragon
    ccrdragon Posts: 3,374 Member
    Yes, but not for 50 days in a row...
  • scorpio516
    scorpio516 Posts: 955 Member
    XMJ6pL
    That's one of the trails in the Whites. Its like that for 1 mile while gaining about 3000'. There's a tent platform, but it's a mile of constant boulders. Feels like it never ends :smiley:
  • WanderingRivers
    WanderingRivers Posts: 612 Member
    Nope. My physical limitations say heck no.
  • sheepingly
    sheepingly Posts: 237 Member
    NorthCascades wrote: »
    Joe McConaughy of Seattle finished setting a new fastest known time on the AT last week. He hiked 2,190 miles in 45 and 1/2 days without support. That's an average of 48 hilly miles per day, carrying his shelter on his back.

    The previous record was 54 days. This one seems likely to stand for a very long time.

    It's hard to imagine the physical and emotional toll this must take on a person, or the dedication involved.

    https://gearjunkie.com/appalachian-trail-unsupported-supported-speed-record-fkt-string-bean

    I don't know if that's possible for the average person. An average pace is like 3.0 miles per hour...that's like 16-17 hours of walking and 7 hours sleeping. Sacrificing one or the other or walking faster at some points. Geez.
  • GlassAngyl
    GlassAngyl Posts: 478 Member
    Farthest I've ever walked in a day is 12 miles and that nearly killed me..
  • sheepingly
    sheepingly Posts: 237 Member
    GlassAngyl wrote: »
    Farthest I've ever walked in a day is 12 miles and that nearly killed me..

    Farthest for me is 3.2 miles :D and i got blisters after the first mile.
  • wsusan162
    wsusan162 Posts: 58 Member
    Ran a 50K two years ago, took 9.5 hours, I iced my legs and still could just barely hobble the next day.....so NO!
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,692 Member
    Could you walk 50 miles in a day?

    Possibly ... but I have a bicycle to do those sorts of distances. :)
  • estherdragonbat
    estherdragonbat Posts: 5,283 Member
    So far, I think I can do ten... Based on how long it took me to walk to my destination and how fast I usually walk.
  • rheddmobile
    rheddmobile Posts: 6,840 Member
    I think I could do 24, which is 8 hours at a 3 mph pace, over level ground. So nope, no way.

    I vaguely recall my husband had to do 40 on a road march once when he was in Ranger training. He was something like 19 years old and very fit. I'll have to ask him.
  • goldthistime
    goldthistime Posts: 3,213 Member
    On one of his bad days he said he had to stop running after 10 miles. Meaning he tends to run most of it.

    So could I walk 50 miles on one day? Possibly. Could I do what he did for even one day? No chance.
  • KetoZombies
    KetoZombies Posts: 63 Member
    If my children life depended on it - but otherwise, n to the o
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